of ham. His wife made a gesture as if to protest, then she became
calm. She always suffered when she heard of money being squandered,
and did not even understand jokes on that subject. "As a matter
of fact, I don't feel well, said the Count; why did I not think
of taking provisions with me?"--Every one was reproaching himself
with the same omission.

Cornudet, however, had a pocket bottle of rum; he offered some to
his companions; they refused coldly. Loiseau alone accepted a few
drops, and when he returned the bottle, he thanked: "It is good,
all the same! it warms you up and it cheats the appetite."--The
drink put him in good humor and he proposed that they should do as
on the small boat in the song: "eat the fattest of the passengers."
This indirect allusion to Boule de Suif shocked the well-bred
passengers. There was no response. Cornudet alone smiled. The
two good Sisters had ceased to mumble their rosary, and with their
hands thrust down in their wide sleeves, they held themselves
motionless, obstinately lowering their eyes and doubtless offering
up as a sacrifice to God the suffering He had sent them.

At last, at three o'clock, as they were still in the middle of an
interminable plain, without any village in sight, Boule de Suif
bent down quickly and from under her seat pulled out a large basket
covered with a white napkin.

She drew out first a small earthen plate, a fine silver drinking
cup, then a large pot in which two whole chickens, carved in pieces,
had stewed in their own gravy; and one could further see in the
basket other good things wrapped up, pastry, fruit, delicacies,
provisions prepared for a three days' trip, so that the traveler